

Then you’ll need to know your tow vehicle’s curb weight – the weight of the tow vehicle itself when filled with gas and all the other fluids it consumes while driving. To calculate your vehicle’s towing capacity, you’ll need to know the full GCVWR - Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating - of the vehicle you plan to tow with and the trailer you plan to tow, together with all the cargo each will carry, from people to wiper fluid. If you plan to tow a travel trailer and bring along your family and all the associated gear they’ll need for a weekend away, the manufacturer’s calculations will not be accurate for your load. While manufacturers will publish a towing capacity for each vehicle they build, it’s important to note that calculations assume that the tow vehicle is carrying only a driver. Calculating it requires knowing several things about both your tow vehicle and the trailer you plan to tow. Still, it doesn’t give you a hard rule that works in every situation. There is a single number that automakers use to best estimate towing capacity. Your vehicle’s towing capacity is the maximum amount of weight it can safely pull, which changes based on how it’s configured, how much weight it’s already carrying, and how you distribute and control the load you need to tow.

Whether you’re looking for a full-size truck to tow your boat or horse trailer, or one of the best towing SUVs to carry your family on vacation and pull the camper you’ll stay in, there’s a series of terms and concepts you’ll need to understand to make the right decision. Towing capacity is a series of calculations and a lot of safety margin, not a single number expressed in pounds. But it’s not nearly so simple as searching for the correct number. Automakers compete to claim the highest towing capacities. There are few topics as complicated for car shoppers as towing.
